Buckingham Palace confirmed that King Charles, 77, and Queen Camilla, 78, hosted Prince Harry, 41, Meghan Markle, 44, and their two children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, at Highgrove House on Friday. The Palace said the reunion at the King’s home in Gloucestershire was a “private family occasion”.
The visit marks the first time the monarch has seen Archie and Lilibet in over four years, while Meghan and Harry hadn’t visited the UK as a couple since 2022, for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. However, royal commentator Jennie Bond has suggested that one issue still remains between the Sussexes and the King.
Writing in The i Paper, Jennie said that the weekend could mark a crucial “make-or-finally-break moment” between Harry and his father.
The BBC‘s former royal correspondent went on to claim that a “lack of trust” is the main problem that still lingers between Harry and the King, following the couple’s decision to leave the UK and their royal duty back in 2020 to move to America.
The issue was worsened when Harry publicly criticised his family in both his Netflix documentary alongside Meghan, and in his tell-all memoir, Spare.
Jennie wrote just prior to the reunion being officially confirmed by the palace: “Their end-of-term report would surely read: ‘Must do better.’ Trust – or rather a lack of it – between the two camps is still a critical issue.
“This weekend could be a make-or-finally-break moment in the chequered relationship between Harry and his dad.”
Despite the seemingly positive progress between Harry and Charles, there are reportedly no plans for the Duke of Sussex to reunite with his brother, Prince William, while he and Meghan are in the UK.
Jennie also took the opportunity to praise the late Princess Diana’s family for “executing a masterclass in diplomacy” in maintaining a good relationship with both of her sons, Harry and William, despite their rift.
She continued: “Quietly, and without fuss, they have held true to Earl Spencer’s pledge at Diana’s funeral to protect William and Harry and allow “their souls to sing openly” as she had planned.
“Of course it has to be said that the Spencers weren’t in Harry’s firing line during his onslaught against the Palace, his father, his brother and others. So they have no reason to hold any grudges.
“They have executed a masterclass in diplomacy, staying on good terms with both brothers and showing up for Harry – for example at the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games a couple of years ago, when the royals shunned him.”